The present invention relates generally to automatic cable tie application tools and more particularly to a cable tie application tool having a front jaw locking mechanism which locks the front jaw prior to application of the cable tie to prevent misfeeds.
Automatic cable tie application tools for applying discrete cable ties around bundles of wires or the like are well known and commonly used in situations where a high volume of cable ties are intended to be applied. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,498,506 to Moody et al. and 5,722,466 to Levin et al. disclose general features of automatic cable tie application tools. Automatic cable tie application tools of this type generally include a dispenser mechanism, a conveyance mechanism and a remote tool. The dispenser mechanism accepts a plurality of cable ties and sequentially dispenses individual ties to the conveyance mechanism. The conveyance mechanism delivers the individual tie to the remote tool. The remote tool includes application means that positions each tie around a bundle or the like, tensions the tie to a predetermined value and then severs the tail of the tie. The ability for these cable tie tool systems to consistently and correctly apply cable ties around the intended bundles is very important.
The application means of the remote tool generally includes a pair of tool jaws which guide the cable tie to be locked around the bundle. The tool jaws are generally moveable in order to facilitate threading and tightening of the cable tie around the bundle. In applications where the user has limited room for positioning of the front of the tool due to working in a crowded location, the front jaw can be prematurely, partially closed such that advancement of the cable tie to the tool jaws results in a misfeed. Thus, there is need for improvement in cable tie application tools.